On The Fly: LeBron Out Two Weeks With Knee, Back Strains; What Does Future Hold?

David Goldman / Associated Press

The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, left, walks on the sideline during an NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta. James is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a strained left knee and back problem, the team announced.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, left, walks on the sideline during an NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta. James is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a strained left knee and back problem, the team announced. (David Goldman / Associated Press)

James, 30, Probably Still Has Great Years Left

LeBron James, who turned 30 this week, has never missed more than five games in a row, but that streak will apparently end. James is expected to miss two weeks with knee and back strains that already have cost him two games. Are these fluke injuries and minor hiccups? Or is King James showing real signs of aging after the tremendous beating his body has taken since he was an 18-year-old rookie? We're guessing he's generally fine, that he has plenty of dominant and relatively uninterrupted years remaining. But every injury will make one think more and more about how much time LeBron has left as the absolute best of the best.

The Winter Classic is always entertaining in some way. Take, for instance, players wearing eye black or, on Thursday in Washington, Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner wearing sunglasses. But the Caps made this edition, the NHL's seventh, most interesting by scoring with 12 seconds remaining for a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks. This event continues to be a huge winner for the NHL. ... Speaking of the need for sunglasses, those bright green uniforms Oregon wore in the Rose Bowl were darn near blinding, yet we must say, they were awesome. ... The NFL playoffs kick off Saturday with the Ravens-Steelers in Pittsburgh and the Cardinals-Panthers in Carolina. Somehow, this made headlines Thursday: Ravens receiver Torrey Smith said the turf at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field is bad. … Receiver Larry Fitzgerald expects to leave the Cardinals in the offseason, Fox Sports Arizona reports, because he is unhappy with his role on the team. Let's allow the postseason to play out. If Fitzgerald becomes the focal point of a nice playoff run, perhaps he'll have become happy again before he has to make a decision.

The bowl games we really were looking forward to, the only ones that matter to some, finally arrived with Oregon-Florida State and Alabama-Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Earlier in the day, however, some other teams did their best to entertain. Michigan State scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Baylor in the Cotton Bowl, and Wisconsin topped Auburn in overtime in the Outback Bowl. ... Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon needed 293 yards to break the single-season rushing record of 2,628, set in 11 games by Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1998. Gordon, playing his 14th game, put up 251, finishing with 2,587 yards in one of the most spectacular seasons by a running back in college football history. … Florida guard Eli Carter (foot) is expected to play Saturday against UConn. Huskies guard Ryan Boatright? Still day-to-day. UConn, of course, sure could use its best player for one of its final chances for a signature nonconference victory.